It was a testament to her boredom that Gin had decided that looking over old reports and paperwork was a good way to spend her time. During her time as Kazekage, it was the one thing she had truly despised. Well, that and the constant surveillance. Having the council breathing down her neck had never been fun. Both things reminded her of her current situation. Kumogakure guards were constantly watching her every move and had been for the past month. She was none too happy about that. It was for that very reason that she hadn't been able to leave the house much or at all since the conflict between Kirigakure and Kumogakure started. She had already run out of things to do in the Raikage Estate in the second week and chose very selective moments to sneak out under heavy disguise. Thus, she had to make do with whatever was available in the house.

Honestly, Gin couldn’t blame them. She was an important figure in Kirigakure – one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and the Mizukage’s close friend. In theory, she was an important bargaining chip. Little did they know that Ayakashi was far more likely to let Gin fend for herself than mount a rescue. It was just like the Mizukage to place politics and the so-called greater good above her personal feelings. Gin didn’t blame her. The other woman was also well aware of what Gin was capable of. She could have broken out of the palace on the first day and left a trail of corpses behind. That, or she could have just returned to Kiri after one of her few outings into the city. But as if that weren’t enough, for all they knew, she could be spying on them, relaying information back to her village. She wasn’t, of course, nor did she have any plans to make the situation worse.

Normally, she would have bothered Sanosuke until he offered her something to do. At the very least, his annoyance was entertaining. Nevertheless, he was much too busy and stressed to be bothered right now. His nation was on the verge of war and what happened next basically rested on his shoulders. She could very well imagine the kind of pressure he was under. For that reason, she had barely approached him during this entire fiasco. Outside of meals, they hardly interacted. He spent most of his time either outside in meetings or in his office. She was under the impression that he hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in weeks.

That was why she currently found herself skimming through pages of old reports that had been deemed unimportant, shoved aside for someone other than the Raikage to take care of. On her lap was a small green cat in a pink onesie, swaying his tail side to side as Gin pet his small head.

“Kero wants to go out,” he mumbled softly, his voice sad, if not a little helpless. Gin understood the feeling.

“I know, buddy, but I already told you we can’t. It’ll just make things worse,”

“Not even the gardens?” He sounded like he was about to cry.

“You know how the guards get when we step outside. They nearly cut your tail off last time,” she reminded her cat, hands ghosting over an isolated report of raids in the outskirts of the village. It wasn’t the first one of its kind.

“Kero is sad,” the cat whined, as if it weren’t obvious already.

“You know Sanosuke’s working as hard as he can to fix this. He’ll do it soon,” she said. She had spoken those same words about a hundred times. Every time, Kero nodded sullenly. This was no exception. She picked him up and wrapped one arm around the small creature to try to comfort him.

They stayed that way for a couple of hours, with Gin scribbling notes on a separate page to keep track of what she had read so far. She pursed her lips as she looked at her own messy handwriting. She paused, pursing her lips. Maybe… No, it seemed like a stretch. However, in her boredom, why not entertain a couple of conspiracy theories? Nothing was likely to come of it, but it would distract her mind for a while. She grabbed another sheet of paper and began drawing lines between names and events. Before long, she was scribbling madly.

What was once a simple list of names became a list of complicated equations and account balances. She had to put Kero on the floor to get up and search for new sheets of information and old reports. This was taking up all of her concentration. She honestly felt like she was onto something.

The sun had already set when she compiled everything she needed. She stared at her results, scribbled over several pages that were now scattered across the ground. If she was right, someone was building a mercenary army large enough to topple the Daimyo – and it was all right under their noses. The question now was whether she should investigate this herself or tell Sanosuke about what might be potentially going on.

Every time he closed his eyes, the sounds of war drums bashed in eerie repetition loudly enough to give the leader of the shinobi hidden in the clouds deep motion sickness that would have left him in a state of panic should he have his vision obscured for too long. The wait of his nation, his village rested on his shoulders. The Kiri shinobi that he had captured and put into holding had disappeared after an anomaly broke into the prison while he was away. He had attended a meeting with the lightning daimyo about these developments. Now the shinobi were no where to be located. From what the reports said about the unknown force that led the prison break, flames had covered the prison as though it were a sea of fire. Should he correct on the personnel responsible for this attack on the prison, Sanosuke feared that the safety of the prisoners were in grave danger. That woman is time bomb waiting to go off.

Opening his eyes, Sanosuke had rested his back against the door leading into the study. He didn't need to rely on his senses to know that the person within the room was none other than Gin and Kero. They were keeping themselves busy with whatever activities they could manage between the two of them. Of course he knew about the two of them sneaking out on occasions. He had trained his chakra sensory abilities on the two of them and Navi to assure that no matter what he'd be able to track them down. If the person who broke into the prison were still in the village, it's likely that Gin was next on the list. His fist clenched tightly, he won't allow for the two of them to disappear as well.

Now that he's thought about it, the two of them haven't been in the same room in days. Between meetings and working overnight to reach out to political figures, Sanosuke didn't get the chance to even look upon her again. His eyes glanced over to the woman in silver hair working suspiciously diligently on some paperwork. Just looking at her from a distance, Sanosuke let his mind wander momentarily. As soon as this fiasco was over, there were words that had to be exchanged between the blue eyed shinobi. For now it would be a good time to check in on his guest.

A breath was taken in quietly as he darted quickly over to Gin. How fast he moved, no wind was carried until he reached his destination. Judging from how concentrated Gin was on her task, it was unlikely that she even noticed he was there. Sanosuke put his weight on the chair Gin was sitting on until it reclined all the way so Gin's back ran parallel to the floor itself. His face loomed over Gin's as they were only a few inches away from each other. "You're working on something pretty fun. Mind if I take a look? Sanosuke said with a wily smile. He missed starring into those lighter blue eyes of hers. That held glance was only held for a split second as he closed the distance between the two of them and kissed her while she was propped on the chair. His one hand was perched on the head of the chair itself and the other resting on her stomach. His hand gently gliding up her skin as it wrapped its fingers around Gin's breast.

"Or we can take a bit of a break to have some fun for ourselves." the silver haired man whispered into Gin's ear.

Sanosuke had a fantastic or terrible sense of timing, depending on who was asked. In spite of her concentration on the documents before her, she could hear him approaching down the hall. His footsteps were light, graceful and quiet. She hadearned to hear them and follow them whenever they were near. Why she had done so was a mystery, even to herself. Sanosuke was by no means an enemy or someone to monitor and distrust. Maybe it was because of how she felt whenever he was nearby. Her heart stuttered in her chest and her stomach grew uneasy. This was what her feelings produced even know. And even after a while spending so much time together, she still had trouble admitting these things to herself. She had grown more confused due to their recent estrangement, courtesy of Kumogakure's current political affairs.

Despite what the guards and other shinobi of Kumogakure thought, Gin and Sanosuke both knew that she was there by choice. Had she wanted to, she could have escaped her unspoken confinement with relative ease. However, she had thought it better to stay, both for his village and her own. She suspected that Sanosuke kept a close eye on her whereabouts. Whether it was because of concern for her personal safety or for that of his people, she couldn't quite say. His paranoia - regardless of the reason behind it - would make it difficult for her to pursue her new findings. She would have to find a way around his sensory abilities. Stalling for a few hours might be enough for her to escape his range, but she would have to find a way to bypass him for at least that long. Damn. She could feel a headache start to pulse behind her eyes. Maybe it would have been best to let sleeping dogs lie instead of entertaining her curiosity.

When he entered the room and placed his foot on her chair, she acted startled nonetheless. From her hand escaped a pulse of fire chakra above the pages she had been so carefully studying. Fire now consumed the sheets of paper. Her mechanical eye had helped her commit all of her notes to memory. She didn't need them written down anymore. In fact, it was best that she leave no paper trail behind. That way, if she managed to avoid Sanosuke, he would have no way to track her down. Sure, that also meant that she would have no back up should she need it, but it was a risk that she was willing to take for his sake. He didn't need this weight on him on top of what he already had. If she could relieve some of it for him, she would be happy. Hopefully, so would he, even if he somehow remained unaware of her actions.

"Gods, you startled me," she said offhandedly, not really paying attention to the small fire that was quickly spreading across the desk, rendering the pages impossible to read. Gin rubbed her temples, momentarily taking her eyes off of Sanosuke's own. Kero was cowering from the fire, hugging Sanosuke's leg tightly. "I was working on a new seal," she explained after he had a chance to ask. She sounded tired and somewhat frustrated. She didn't need to fake that part. The lie was as convincing as any truth. "I'd let you take a look if there were any of it left."

She couldn't help but smile faintly at his closeness, however. It had become a comforting and welcome part of her life. After he had kissed her, she once again closed the distance between them for a brief moment, pressing her lips against his tenderly. The peck lasted only for a second before she withdrew to speak to him. "I thought you were still busy. You haven't left your office in days," she said, now frowning. His hands were roaming around her body and despite her lack of outward reaction, she had to admit that she had missed this. Over the past few weeks, she had seen different sets of Jounin and advisors come and leave his office at all times of day and night. She wondered if he had had any time to sleep at all

While holding Gin propped up from falling on the ground as she sat in the chair, Sanosuke had to enjoy the look of surprise that were on her face. Did he actually take that look of surprise as though she was genuinely surprised; probably not considering that Gin was mostly full of crap on conveying her emotions besides genuine annoyance and showboating. But he didn't think it'd matter at the moment, just holding her from the chair like this was all that he needed at the moment. Of course Sanosuke noticed the flames that erupted the second he got Gin's attention. Must have been something she was working on that she didn't want Gin to notice. From his reports of Gin's leaving, Sanosuke didn't think she had gotten in too much trouble. If anything it might have been something of illegal activity like manning a fight ring or something.

Resolving to chastise her about it later, Sanosuke decided at the moment Gin was what was important. Kero clung onto his leg like a small child afraid of the flames that were developing on the table. With a quick mental command, Sanosuke condensed the water from the oxygen using chakra to turn into a small body of water that splashed the flames into subjugation. That might have calmed Kero down as his grip slackened. He must have known it was time to leave as Sanosuke moved to kiss Gin. Smart cat, Sanosuke thought. But then again he might have gotten a whiff of the food that was in his office. Either way it would distract the cat for a while.

As Gin spoke, Sanosuke knew for that much she was sincere at her concern about how much he had been sleeping. From time to time, Sanosuke was able to grab a few hours of sleep at random moments of the day before he had another meeting to lead or to have his audience with the council. There were too many things to do, and if Gin was able to pick up on this then it must be serious. With a sigh and a smile, Sanosuke laced his fingers in Gin's hands. "All right come here you."[ Sanosuke moved to sit the chair properly and shifted the silver hair woman's body so that it was easier to lift in his arms. Her body was carried in his arms as Sanosuke slid himself in the chair with Gin on his lap.

It had been a long time since they got some alone time with one another. The quietness was nice. When he was with Gin, the mental war drums that would go off in his head died down; even if he closed his eyes, not a single percussion was sounded. "Well perhaps, but like I said it's only temporary. After all I did promise you and Kero you two wouldn't be cooped up for too long in this place, right?" Sanosuke brushed one hair out of the kunoichi's eyes, it was blue eyes looking into blue in a room to themselves. This closeness was rather soothing to him, just having her presence near him let his nerves be at ease.

"Besides, if you're really worried about me sleeping I can think of a few ways to help me sleep." Sanosuke winked at Gin while kissing her neck more playfully. He hoisted her upwards so he could be standing up while carrying the woman in his arms. The room they were in weren't too far from their bedroom. Besides Sanosuke was sure that he could catch up on some hours of sleep if she were by his side. After all, Gin couldn't get in too much trouble if she was tuckered out and sleeping by his side. It was just up for him to make sure she would be too tired to move from the estate.

"You know, I never bothered to learn Suiton. I suppose it has its uses," she mused out loud. The fire she caused was put out in a mere instant. If there had been any evidence left by the flames, the water had definitely destroyed it. She always found the things she couldn't do quite remarkable to watch. She wouldn't say it out loud or show it much, lest it go to Sanosuke's head, but his mastery of Sage Mode was something that she admired.

Part of her wished that she had put in the time to train in the art of Senjutsu. It was a trying practice that few could master. In a way, she envied people like Sanosuke and Ayakashi for it. Maybe if she asked, Sanosuke would be willing to teach her. It would definitely be a good way to pass the time while she was trapped in the Estate. She shoved the thought aside, however. She couldn't be that selfish and absorb his much needed time. Maybe once this was all over, she could put aside her pride and ask for a favor. She got the feeling that Sanosuke would enjoy being her teacher.

Once the fire was out, Gin heard Kero skip out of the room. The cat hummed tunelessly. By now, Gin knew that that meant he had found a distraction in food. She found his random changes in attitude endearing. Right now, however, her thoughts were more drawn to Sanosuke. She did hope that Kero ran into Navi, however. If he was seen with the little glowing wasp outside, he would have no problem with the guards.

When Sanosuke moved to sit her on his lap, Gin adjusted herself so that her back was leaning against his chest. She allowed herself to relax against him. It had been a while since she had felt his embrace. It was soothing and comforting. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. When she opened them she was staring into Sanosuke's own. She smiled. There was a sort of intimacy in moments like these that made her feel oddly exposed and unprotected, like she was vulnerable in front of Sanosuke. And for some reason, that made her smile. Gin couldn't quite explain why.

Gin shook her head at Sanosuke after he spoke. "Whether or not I get to leave the house isn't important at all. What is is preventing this war from going on and killing you or Ayakashi or both," she said. She could barely keep her frustration from seeping into her words. Sanosuke didn't need to handle her emotional troubles on top of his own. She could take care of herself, she knew that she could. In an instant, her expression reverted back to a playful smile. "Besides, I'm sure you know I sneak out," she added, hoping to return to the levity of the moment.

She couldn't help but let out a laugh softly when Sanosuke kissed her neck. It was sensitive and ticklish to an extent. She held onto his shoulders when he hoisted her up, carrying her in his arms. She nuzzled his neck, getting comfortable in her new position. Gin knew where this was likely going and couldn't complain at all.

It was still a mystery how it only took a single look from Gin in order for most of his mental guards to be shattered so he was vulnerable. But there was a certain warmth to this vulnerability he felt with Gin being so close to him. As they conversed, Sanosuke could only smile softly at Gin as she let her emotions get the best of her as she spoke a small segment of what was in her heart. She attempted to mask it with a joke but that was all he needed to know how Gin was handling it. It never occurred to him that Gin wanted this conflict to end not just for her to finally get off of this house arrest, but she cared about his and Ayakashi's safety. She did owe the Mizukage her life, and Gin and himself were rather....complicated. So it made sense why she wanted both of the leaders to escape out of this unscathed.

"You're right. I already gave you my word that everybody is going to walk away from this unharmed, just give me a little bit more time." Sanosuke rested his forehead on Gin's as she cooed the woman with words of reassurance. Clenching her hands with his own, Sanosuke grasped on both her artificial and genuine hands in his own and closed the distance between the two of them. His lips curled against her own as he held her close. With smirk, Sanosuke ghosted his mouth downwards towards Gin's neck for a promiscuous gesture on how they could spend a few hours together.

Lifting her up, Sanosuke felt at ease as Gin rested her head against his chest. The Raikage smiled as she curled up against him as though she trusted him to carry her safely. It really has been a while since the two of them had any time with just the two of them. By the time they reached the door, Sanosuke opened it and slid the two of them in it with ease. With each step he took to get the two of them closer and closer towards the bed, his lips clashed with Gin's own in a burst of passion that was restraint by the leash called 'publicity.' It took 10 clashes of lips before they finally reached.

Gin hadn't even had time to even get adjusted on the bed once Sanosuke tossed her on the mattress before he had pounced on top of her like a panther hungry for its prey. His fingers moved as though they each had a life of its own as he pushed himself more and more onto Gin as they rolled and tussled between kisses. His tongue invading her mouth with an explosion of energy that Gin would have been caught off guard by considering how tired he may have looked. Of all the times they've had sex, she must know how vast his libido is. Sanosuke broke lip contact for a brief moment so he could remove his shirt. "Take off your panties." Sanosuke said in a low voice into her ear. A nibble on her left earlobe was soft but he pulled back slowly against it before letting go. His blue eyes glinted darkly with lust as he moved once more to attack her body, a just as devious smile crept against the man's lips as he moved his lips and teeth against Gin's neck to urge her to follow his lead.

Another flush of chakra shot out from his body indiscreetly to lock his door so nobody would come in or nobody would leave for a couple of hours until they were finally asleep. The sudden exposure to the small amount of senjutsu would most likely act like an aphrodisiac to the Kuroka woman that he was currently on top of to coax her out of her panties. It would make her thirst for him even that more intense than usual.

"Whoops, accidentally hit you with a wave of senjutsu. You're okay, aren't you/" Sanosuke asked with sarcasm and a toothy smile. He winked as he pursued her body more as he let his lust take over his body. For hours the room was to themselves where Sanosuke and Gin were getting rather familiar once more with each other's bodies once more. The sounds of the headboard bashing against the wall of the bedroom like a battering ram gave evidence, as sounds of the bed compressing loudly throughout the estate, followed by soft spoken laughter and even louder moans was what came out of the room.

[fade to black]

---

By the time they were finished, it would have left his body exhausted and completely depleted of energy. His body was caked in sweat as he held Gin in his arms. Yawning loudly, Sanosuke chuckled to himself out loud. "Forgot how good that felt. You know if I didn't know any better, I would have thought someone made quite the wet mess in the bed. You know the last time you made a mess this big was the night of the grand opening of the casino." Sanosuke  smiled warmly at Gin. Remembering that night, he remembered how Gin got one of his shirts to wear the morning after to feel more comfortable. She most likely wanted to get in something dry rather than be wet and sweaty.

He kissed her tiredly before pulling her closely into his arms. One last kiss to her neck was had from behind before he let himself drift to sleep for a couple of hours. His mental guard would be up to keep him up for about an additional hour in case Gin tried to sneak away. Eventually his body would succumb greatly to the tiredness he was experienced. And eventually he'd be completely subdue to tiredness.

Gin resisted the urge to point out that enough time had gone by and nothing had changed. She bit back her words however and simply nodded with a faint smile. She needed to trust Sanosuke, difficult as it may be. She was much to used to taking charge and actively fighting against the things that made her uneasy. In this situation, however, any action would mean that she was taking sides. It was something that she simply couldn't bring herself to do. Her best course of action was to do nothing, which for her, was likely more difficult than facing down an entire army on her own.

At the moment, she was grateful for the distraction that Sanosuke provided. She crashed her lips against his repeatedly. Their battles for dominance were always that - unrelenting and passionate, with either side refusing to cede an inch. As his fingers moved deftly over her body, hers did the same, making sure to tease him as much as she could. Sanosuke's energy was a welcome surprise, one that made an amused laugh escape her lips. His eagerness flowed off of him in waves. Out of all of the people she had been with, he was the one most able to keep up with her pace.

Gin let out a moan as soon as his chakra coursed through her. The feeling came as an intense shock. "You know that's cheating" she answered his order, slowly removing her underwear and making sure to make a show out of it. Once she was done, she flipped them over so that she was straddling him. "God I missed this," she whispered hoarsely.

For a moment, surrounded by passion and pleasure, her gilt over hidden secrets was almost forgotten.


Gin let herself collapse back onto the bed, burying her head into the crook of Sanosuke's neck. "What can I say? You really do a number on me when you get excited like that. Shame it doesn't happen more often," she said, teasing him as he did to her. Banter was just a normal part of their relationship, one that felt as natural as breathing. Truth be told, most of what they did felt that way. More often than not, they were completely in sync.

She smiled at his tired musings and kissed him back, letting him fall asleep as she stood up from the bed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a shower, otherwise I won't be able to sleep at all," she said, letting out a tired yawn. It was genuine - she really did feel worn out. She couldn't let that overpower her, however.



The former Kazekage gripped a pen between calloused fingers, scribbling hasty words onto a piece of paper. Her clothes were already on her and she was freshly clean from her shower.

Went out to clear my head. I'll be back for dinner.


The note was clear and simple. Sure, it was a lie, but it gave no need for alarm. All she had to do was make sure that she was back in the evening. Her search might take longer, but in that case, she could send another letter. The important thing was that she would create enough distance to keep herself from being tacked before she did what she needed to do.

She looked at him fondly and yet with a hint of sadness. She was torn. Doing this on her own was for Sanosuke's own good. She would just have to bear the consequences of her actions on her own. Eventually, she hoped he would understand if he did get angry. She pressed her lips to his and for a single moment, she was filled with warmth. She held her breath, thinking that maybe it might help her hold onto the feeling for longer. Without taking her eyes away from his sleeping form, Gin opened the window as silently as she could. Once she landed on the ground outside, she couldn't bring herself to look back. She had made a choice. It was just liker her to be that way. Once she set her goals, all hesitation was lost. There was nothing left but her own drive and the will to move forward. It would be nearly impossible to stop her now.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, she began to run. She knew exactly where she was going. She had committed her notes and the map of the area to memory. Sneaking out of the Estate had become second nature to her these days. She knew where the guards were posted at any given time of the day. Getting past the perimeter no longer took any effort. Even so, she made sure that she wasn't seen. Under normal circumstances, that would cause enough alarm on its own. Being seen now would have them alert Sanosuke as well. She couldn't have that. He needed his rest and she needed to act on her own.

Once she was out of the estate, she headed towards the surrounding mountains of Kumogakure. If she ran at her maximum speed, it would take her about half a day to get there. She couldn't afford to lose that much time. She took a deep breath and placed a seal underneath her feet, letting it take her forward, towards her destination. Every few meters, she placed another one, keeping her speed absurdly high at the cost of her chakra and, to some extent, maneuverability. It was worth it, however. She needed to gain as much ground as possible before Sanosuke figured out what she was up to. Though she hoped otherwise, she knew that he would eventually go to seek her out. She clenched her jaw. It was too late to reconsider now.

The base of the mountain she was looking for was surrounded by a lush forests. Its peaks were hidden high among the clouds, blending seamlessly into the grey sky. Gin didn't stop to admire the view, however. She knew that somewhere deep in the snowy summit of the mountain was part of a building army - one that she needed to confront and potentially destroy. A part of her - one that she didn't exactly know how to feel about - was thrilled at the prospect of a challenging fight. She had always loved the feeling of adrenaline rushing through her, of her blade slicing through skin and bone, of the destruction she caused with her bare hands. It was something she openly lived for. However, now, it made her feel selfish, like some part of her wasn't doing this for Sanosuke, but rather her own sake.

As she ran up the jagged sides of the mountain, she tried to shake off the thought. She needed to concentrate. She needed to put all of her attention to the task ahead. The moral conflicts in her mind could be dealt with in the aftermath. As she continued, she could feel the wind around her grow into a bitter chill. The stone and earth underneath her feet began to turn into snow and ice. If she were running by traditional means, keeping herself in silence would have been hard. She had never been gifted at stealth, after all. Thankfully, her seals allowed for minimum contact with the ground.

The summit offered a view of the clouds below and little else. Gin felt a shiver run up her spine. She looked at the sun above. It had probably taken her around three hours to get there. That meant there was likely a distance of around 800 kilometers between Sanosuke. She would have been exhausted if not for her impeccable stamina and large amount of chakra. Hopefully, she would have enough time to regain the amount she had lost while she scouted the area.

The lack of clouds and mist made the visibility clear. It helped greatly. Using her mechanical eye - Jagan - she was able to zoom into the surrounding areas. Faintly, she could see her target. In the middle of the large peaks was a crowded camp, makeshift in appearance. Whoever had set it up had a sound knowledge of strategy, however. The area was high and secluded enough to avoid detection while still having a steady supply of food and water relatively nearby. The rough terrain made it nearly impossible that someone would stumble upon it by pure coincidence. A lot of thought had been put into the location, despite the haggard appearance of the set up tents. Maybe even that was on purpose.

All Gin had to do now was get closer...

---

He had forgotten how good sleep felt. The heavy stress and plans of what to do for his village and this whole conflict was no longer on his shoulders. It was finally quiet, and there was nothing in his sight. Just darkness, it was peaceful. He had only his thoughts. Sleep had swayed him into a state of relaxation that he could allow his body to finally recuperate from days upon stress on his body. For once he could allow his senses to die out into nothing. That was when he felt a light tapping, as though a tiny finger was pressing against his conscience like it was glass.

Sano wake up! We have big trouble!

Sleep has caused his mental state of address to be sluggish at best to his response. It was as though he was drunk off sleep. Leave me alone.....I just want to sleep. I finally got a few hours of sleep, do you not now how long that happened. Now piss off you damn cat... Sanosuke mentally barked out with a yawn as he tried to get himself back to sleep.

But Sano..!

Shut it wasp!


The second he shot out that mental insult he was instantly hit with a barrage of mental shouts and loud buzzing in his head that it felt like he was slapped in the face. It jerked the Raikage upwards into a sitting position from the bed. Rubbing his eyes, Sanosuke realized to his left of the bed that Gin was gone. She might have been gone for a walk, a piece of paper was on the table that from where Sanosuke could detect. It was far from him but he could make out the words that he was gone for a while.

Now as I was going to say, Gin tripped the system. She was last headed towards the mountain, north of here. The covers in his hands were clenched tightly in anger as Sanosuke realized that this walk was just a farce. In fact Gin was off to do something stupid again. Sanosuke had Navi learn the way to link her senses and learn the ANBU's network of chakra sensory network. It was used by ANBU agents for recon missions where they can sense a vast area. This time Navi could access that network and then relay it back to Sanosuke through their telepathy. He had the system trained to cover in case an attack would happen, he'd be the first to know. But this time it worked from a retreat on the inside. That damn fool.

"Damn it Gin..." Sanosuke growled as he got up from his bed and immediately started getting changed into his combat outfit. Knowing that idiot she was off to do something rather dangerous, he'd have to be ready. Navi was just informing Sanosuke of a way to cover a lot of ground so he would at least be in close enough a vicinity to sense Gin's chakra himself with his own senjutsu sensory abilities. But Sanosuke wasn't going to like it.

---

With his body now clothed, Sanosuke was at the lower levels of his estate where his experiments in seals were being done. Navi was there as well in her henged state of a girl with blue short hair. Before them on the ground was a rather large seal on the ground that could easily fit a small group of people and stand in it. What was before him was a cargo system seal that could be teleport objects through instant reverse summoning technique. It used light beams in chakra to move cargo objects by moving them by the molecules. The only people to have made this trek was the 4th Raikage and the 5th Hokage. The Raikage was able to do so because of his natural born strength, and the Hokage her healing ability.

Chewing a certain soldier pill that he had the medical team develop for this experiment to transfer people instead of objects in case of an emergency, Sanosuke began to think what he could do to survive the trek. The soldier pill would temporarily give his body the same genetic make up for the skin cells not to torn to shreds from the current. The pain from it will not be treated since there wasn't enough makeup for both ibuprofen characteristics and also retain its main purpose of keeping his body in check. It's in fact the pain is probably enough to be crippling. But he had a plan for the tactic. Chakra coiled around his body so they acted like braces. He will be able to use these coils still control his body despite the pain.

With these elements he is sure to be able to survive the cargo teleportation. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Navi fire it up." Sanosuke let his chakra wash over him as he nodded at his partner. She simply shook her head in disapproval at the entire situation. The Raikage prepared his body for the technique he was about to take that should get him within the same area as Gin. Close enough for him to be able to sense her presence with senjutsu. Generally get him right where there's a hot trail for the Kuroka woman.


Bright light flashed around the Raikage as he felt his entire body being caved in as though pressure from the entire world was ripping him to shreds. His chakra buckled itself from the pressure as well. If it wasn't for the pill he had ingested he would have surely been reduced to a bloody pulp on the ground. If it wasn't for the training he had received at his initiation as Raikage from the spirits of the previous Raikages he wouldn't be able to stand the pain. He had to thank the third and fourth raikage for their blessing which strengthen him physically. It wasn't long before the Raikage vanished from the Raikage's estate and most likely in the mountainous area of the outskirts of his village.

It wasn't the exact location but it was something and Gin was going to really regret not staying in as because of her he had to use such a tactic to cover the ground Gin carried. All this pain was because of Gin and she wasn't going to get away with this without going death in one ear.

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There was hardly any wind blowing at the peak. It was odd. It made Gin wonder if there were maybe defensive jutsu placed around the perimeter, ones that kept sensory techniques from detecting the presence of such a large group and more rudimentary ones that kept the natural climate of the mountains from penetrating the area. It did nothing for the cold, however. A shiver ran up the former Kazekage's spine. She was mildly cold, but she really couldn't complain. Wearing a thick jacket or winter gear would get in the way if she had to fight. It was why she usually preferred wearing tight clothing. The best he could pull off before leaving quickly was pulling on thermal gear just in case. Half of her face was covered with a mask, her hair tied into a loose bun. She had replaced her regular metal arm with the advanced version to avoid frostbite so high in the mountains.

Gin looked at the camp before her and let out a sigh. The breath came out as a cloud of mist, even through her mask. Infusing her feet with a steady stream of chakra, she leaped from the jagged mountain of rocks and onto the ground. The chakra at the soles of her feet was meant to keep her footing steady over the ice and snow. It didn't take her too long to reach the outskirts of the camp. At that point, she no longer bothered with stealth. Most people would have seen such a plan as reckless and idiotic, but it wasn't so to Gin. Her skills in stealth were pathetic and if she concentrated on sneaking into the area, nothing good would come of it. She would just get her self stranded in the middle of an ambush. This way, she could take control of the situation and dictate the terms of the fight.

"I demand to speak to your leader," she called out to whoever could hear her. She drew Soul Cutter. That was bound to get their attention. Even if they didn't recognize the blade for what it was, it was definitely something to behold. And even then, if they missed the details it was still a challenge. From the crowd - already taking her actions as an act of hostility - emerged a man with silver hair and clear blue eyes not unlike her own. He drew his own weapon and pointed it at the silver haired woman. The rest of the men stood down. This was definitely their leader.

"You wanted to speak with me?" He asked, his voice low and gruff but definitely cocky and overconfident.

"Yeah, namely to ask you why the fuck you have an entire army in the outskirts of the Lightning Country," she growled back.

In response, he laughed. "Not even an introduction? Well, not that the Great Kuroka Gin needs one," he stated.

Gin wasn't surprised that he knew who she was. Her face was well known, after all. She narrowed her eyes nonetheless. "Fine, be like that, I'll tear the answers out of you if I have to."

"Fine by me."

The technique opened himself into his immediate surroundings of the vacinity that Gin was heading towards too. But what the Raikage didn't account for was for the weather. He would soon wish he had brought some warmer gear with him as in a flash of light the reverse summmoning technique worked against his favor and landed him on the mountain side of Kumo's mountains that was more suspectible to the colder seasons. It was far easier for it to snow in this sector of the mountains. With a yelp, Sanosuke was landed right into a pile of snow.

Immediate cold pressed against his skin that felt like the burning sernsation it was experiencing was burning into his flesh from the technique he endured just to get in the correct location where Gin was. That didn't stop the Raikage from leaping up in shock from the cold. He landed on his feet with ease as he clenched his body. "God damn it Gin! You idiot! You fucking, grade A bitch!! Now I'm on top of a god damn mountain without much to go on!" Sanosuke screamed out loudly into the mountain air. It didn't stop his shaking annoyance with the woman that was slowly turning into fury the more he stood in the cold. However it did help him not think of the cold so much. Right now he was ready to be set off at anything that would remotely further annoy him.

A crackle from a branch alerted Sanosuke from his senses, but not from his annoyed stupor. What pray tell was coming at him right now, really wasn't much for Sanosuke to worry about but more just frustrate him. Coming from the shrubbery's thickest side were two men that looked like they were in some sort of bandit attire that was fitted with fur that kept them warm in this climate. The men traded glances with each other before looking at the Raikage in confusion. They walked closer to take a closer look at the silver haired man. Sanosuke kept his guard as he took examined the men.

"What the hell are you doing on our mountain?!"

"What the hell are you doing on MY mountain?" Both oppositions looked at each other in bewilderment then annoyance. Sanosuke more so since he felt like he was close to popping a blood vessel from how much control he was putting into the situation. The events of today were really trying his patience, and it was wearing thin. "I don't know who you are nor what you are all doing in my village, but you're leaving now. Or should I go over to your camp right now and tell them myself. Which way?"

The men seemed to look at each other shocked at who they were now in front of. It was as though they needed a small meeting to determine their next move. Finally after a short debriefing,  the larger of the men snorted and spat on the ground before Sanosuke. "We're not telling you shit, you got that BOY. Now go back to your village and nobody has to get hurt, here me?" The bandit cracked his knuckles with a sneer while his shorter partner got out his blade and started licking it. They were really trying to intimidate him were they? Sanosuke looked at the men carefully as they closed in. He snapped his fingers to bring their attention.

"Stop. Last chance, you take one more step and I'm shoving your head..." Sanosuke warned with a solemn voice that carried authority to both parties so they understood their situation. He pointed at the larger man first then pointed at the smaller man with the knife. "And shove it up his ass. Choices gentlemen, make them. I have an annoying woman to catch." Sanosuke finished as he crossed his arms and waited for what the men was going to do next. Both men gritted their teeth as they weighed their options whether to attack or not. It only took one of them to reflexively move their foot forward as though to consider the option that Sanosuke pounced.


The muffle screams of the larger man could be heard as he was flailing his arms out in an attempt to remove his head from the short man's rectum. The larger of the men had nothing but his boxers on as Sanosuke had decided to liberate the man of his cloak and scarf to keep him warm. The younger man was luckier but not by much since his clothes were rather intact, but still had a man's head rammed up his ass as promised. The younger man was screaming out in pain as he tried to free the bigger man from his personal space, but to no avail the man was stuck. The larger man tried as much as he could to free himself from his prison but alas he was unable to do so.

Sanosuke had gotten all he needed from the man that was currently trying to free his partner from his ass. But it wouldn't check to make sure. "You wouldn't happen to be lying when I asked about the location of the headquarters of this mercenary army would I?" Sanosuke asked with a voice of malice being overtly apparent to anyone listening in. The smaller bandit shook his head in agony and fear at the question. One last exchange was had between the man with the other man's head up his ass as Sanosuke's blue eyes pierced the bandit's soul. He was telling the truth.

"Well in that case thanks for your help." Sanosuke said turning his back on the men in their rather situation. But before he left he did leave a message to surrounding animals that there were two humans with meat that were ripe for the taking. Last animal he was able to detect was a rather large grizzly bear and a wolf. Both of them fairly close. They would be here any minute. He'd rather not see this. Besides, the commotion he caused Sanosuke could sense other bandits from the same group to investigate. It was time to move.

With more clad gear on his clothing, Sanosuke felt more comfortable in the cold that he could comfortably travel easier. The Raikage took off towards the camp that was apparently along the peninsula of the mountains itself. It was his first lead and Sanosuke was going to see it through. Any step closer to Gin where he could personally ring it for being an idiot was better. Taking his anger out on those bandits earlier did calm Sanosuek down of his temper. Now he's ready to reunite with Gin in order to find out what the hell she was doing way out here with mercenaries. There were just so many questions, Sanosuke thought of them all as he navigated through the snow clad mountains of the country on the pursuit for Gin Kuroka.

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